This easy Sloppy Joe Recipe is made with reliable, budget-friendly ingredients, including tender ground beef in a flavorful sauce featuring ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and other pantry staples. Ready in just 30 minutes and freezer-friendly, enjoy this flavorful dinnertime classic between toasted hamburger buns.
About This Recipe
Sloppy joes, filled with ground beef and hidden veggies in a flavorful sauce, are a childhood classic. Today, I’m sharing the best sloppy joe recipe, plus tons of easy modifications and cooking tips!
- Taste: Rich, tangy, and slightly sweet with plenty of beefy flavor.
- Difficulty: So easy! Ready in just 30 minutes.
- Freezer-Friendly: Yes.
- Related Recipe: If you’re looking for a meatless Monday alternative, check out these equally flavorful and filling Lentil Sloppy Joes.
- Top Tip: Remember to toast your buns! Toasting adds a subtle crunch and helps prevent them from getting soggy when the meat mixture is added.
Table of Contents
What is a Sloppy Joe?
The sloppy joe is a popular American sandwich that combines ground beef, onions, tomato sauce (or ketchup), and seasonings on a hamburger bun. It originated in the 1930s, when “loose meat” sandwiches were popular. These sandwiches were made with ground beef on a bun, mixed with onions, and topped with cheese.
The sloppy joe found its place when a cook named Joe, working at a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa, added tomato sauce to his “loose meat” sandwiches.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Below are descriptions of the key ingredients in this Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe. You can find the printable recipe with measurements for each ingredient in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: Ground beef is the original go-to ground meat for sloppy joes. It’s tasty and wallet-friendly (most of the time), and kids love it. I suggest using 85-90% lean ground beef but use whatever works for you. This recipe is also great with ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Butter: This sloppy joe recipe recommends draining the excess grease from the ground beef and adding butter. The purpose of adding the butter is purely flavor-based. Butter is rich and creamy and helps soften other more prominent flavors (garlic, ketchup, and mustard, for example).
- Veggies: Green bell peppers and onion are the classic additions, so that’s what I’ve added here. Celery can be substituted for the bell pepper.
- Sauce: The “sauce” consists of ketchup, chicken broth, yellow mustard, brown sugar, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Feel free to substitute the chicken broth with beef broth and season with additional salt and black pepper.
- Cheddar cheese (optional): Original sloppy joes recipes did not include melted cheese, but I love the added richness and gooey texture. Feel free to omit cheese from the recipe or try a different variety of cheese like provolone or Pepperjack.
Variations
Sloppy joes are incredibly versatile. Modify to suit your tastes and preferences.
- For more tanginess, add 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, or add a splash of pickle juice.
- For more heat, add chili powder, cayenne pepper, or red chili flakes. Start with a small amount (around 1/2 teaspoon) and adjust according to your heat preference. You can also add diced jalapeño peppers at the same time as the green bell pepper and onion or add a dash of hot sauce.
- For more veggies, sauteed chopped mushrooms blend seamlessly with the ground beef and sauce.
- For more tomato flavor, add a half-cup of tomato sauce with one tablespoon of tomato paste.
How to Make Sloppy Joes
1. Brown the ground beef. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble the ground beef until browned. Once cooked, transfer the meat to a fine-mesh strainer to drain and discard the excess grease. Return the beef to the skillet.
2. Soften the veggies. Set the skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, onion, and bell pepper, mixing well to combine. Cook until soft, about 6-8 minutes.
3. Make the sauce and season. Stir in the ketchup, chicken broth, mustard, brown sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper—season with chili powder or red chili flakes (optional).
4. Cover and cook. Cook for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If necessary, reduce the heat to low to prevent burning.
5. Add the cheese. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of cheese until melted, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let it rest just until the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes.
7. Serve. Garnish with freshly sliced green onions. Serve sandwiched between your favorite toasted hamburger buns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Manwich is a premade, shelf-stable, store-bought can of tomato-based sloppy joe sauce meant to be added to precooked ground beef and onions. This combination of Manwich with ground beef on a bun makes a sloppy joe. The original Manwich was invented in 1969 by ConAgra Foods and Hunt’s.
If your sloppy joe mixture is too runny, allow the mixture to simmer on low heat without a lid until excess moisture evaporates and the sauce naturally thickens. Alternatively, tomato paste will help thicken the sauce and amplify the flavor. If the mixture is too thick, gradually stir in water or broth until you reach the desired consistency.
There are a few ways to make this sloppy joe recipe healthier. Add lean ground beef (90% lean or higher), ground turkey, or ground chicken, and bulk up the sauce with sneak veggies like shredded carrots, celery, or mushrooms. Finally, reduce the amount of brown sugar or omit it altogether.
What to Serve with Sloppy Joes?
My grandmother served us sloppy joes with buttery corn on the cob, potato chips, pickle spears, and creamy coleslaw. Some other great options include a garden salad, seasonal fruit salad, baked beans, sweet potato fries, or mac and cheese.
Leftovers and Freezing
- Make-ahead tips: The sloppy joe mixture benefits from being made ahead, as the flavors are given time to deepen and meld together. Cook the entire mixture a day or two before and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave when ready to serve.
- Leftovers: Place leftover sloppy joe mixture in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Allow the mixture to cool completely before transferring to freezer-friendly bags or containers. Freeze for up to 4 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop or microwave before serving.
Do you love this one-pan, tangy, beefy, and delicious sloppy joe recipe? Be sure to check out my easy Hamburger Recipe, Meatloaf, Hamburger Helper, and (best) Chili Recipe.
RECIPE CARD
Sloppy Joe Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion - finely chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper - deseeded and finely chopped
- ½-1 cup ketchup - add according to your preference
- ¼ cup chicken broth - water or beef broth
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and black pepper - to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder or red pepper flakes - optional, for heat
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese - freshly shredded, divided, optional
- 6 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble the ground beef until browned. Once cooked, transfer the meat to a fine-mesh strainer to drain and discard the excess grease.
- Return the beef to the skillet.
- Set the skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, onion, and bell pepper, mixing well to combine. Cook until soft, about 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in the ketchup, chicken broth, mustard, brown sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper—season with chili powder or red chili flakes (optional).
- Cook for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If necessary, reduce the heat to low to prevent burning.
- Stir in 1 1/2 cups of cheese until melted, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let it rest just until the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes.
- Garnish with freshly sliced green onions. Serve sandwiched between your favorite toasted hamburger buns.
Jessica’s Notes
- For more tanginess, add 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, or add a splash of pickle juice.
- For more heat, add chili powder, cayenne pepper, or red chili flakes. Start with a small amount (around 1/2 to 1 teaspoon) and adjust according to your heat preference. You can also add diced jalapeño peppers at the same time as the green bell pepper and onion or add a dash of hot sauce.
- For more veggies, sauteed chopped mushrooms blend seamlessly with the ground beef and sauce.
- For more tomato flavor, add a half-cup of tomato sauce with one tablespoon of tomato paste.
- Ground beef: I suggest using 85-90% lean ground beef. You can substitute ground chicken, turkey, or pork.
- Cheddar cheese (optional): Original sloppy joes recipes did not include melted cheese, but I love the added richness and gooey texture. Feel free to omit cheese from the recipe or try a different variety of cheese like provolone or Pepperjack.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
I tried this recipe tonight. I lost the recipe I had been using and this one looked good. I did omit the red pepper flakes. We can’t eat anything spicy, but did everything else.
Does anyone else put coleslaw on their sloppy joes or it just a regional thing?
This is a great recipe that didn’t require tweaking. The flavor profile is excellent and perfect for my family. I did reduce the red pepper flakes but otherwise followed the directions. I keep a well stocked pantry and fridge so this was convenient to make when searching for a quick and tasty dinner option. I’ll certainly make this again.
I enjoyed these, thet had great flavor and was simply made. Oh! I added a little smoke and BBQ sause to mine😌
Thanks for the kind feedback Arthelia 🙂
This sloppy joe recipe is the bomb!! The last time I had sloppy Joe’s I was a kid. The sauce part of this recipe is perfect. Will be rotating this into our dinner menu more often. Thanks
Thanks for the bomb feedback, Barbara 🙂
I couldn’t add the vegetables, chili powder or red chili flakes due to my husbands dietary requirements but this was delicious. Will be making again for sure.
Thanks for the kind feedback Laura 🙂
I made this recipe exactly as written, and it was DELICIOUS!! I will be making this savory treat again soon. It’s also amazing on a hotdog with American cheese on top…. 😉
When I was a you grade schooler in the early 1950’s, my friends’ mother made us “Wimpies” for lunch one day and I loved them. A few years later when I got interested in cooking, I asked her for the recipe for her Wimpies. It is very similar to yours except I use celery instead of green pepper and I don’t use chile flakes or powder. My kids ( that includes grands and greatgrands) love mine. I can’t wait to try your recipe on them. I wonder if anyone else ever heard of them being called “Wimpies”?